Oregon Outback (35 page)

Carver hadn’t mentioned the last three years, but Justin knew that would come. Eventually. “I could use a plate of steak and eggs and a strong cup of coffee.”

“I know just the place.” His brother smiled.

Justin climbed into Carver’s dually. He hadn’t really expected to escape without facing Carver, had he? Fifteen minutes up the road, and Carver drove into the parking lot of a small diner. Justin followed him inside, expecting the questions to come after the coffee had been poured. One thing for certain, he had no intention of answering anything until after at least two big mugs.

Carver nodded at the waitress and made his way through the diner to a booth in the back. Justin came up behind him and froze. Jonas and Lucas sat at the booth, grinning.

“What is this? Some sort of intervention?”

“Not unless you’re an addict.” Jonas got up and practically shoved Justin into the booth between him and Lucas. “Are you?”

“We just wanted to see you, bro.” Lucas punched him a little too hard on the arm. “In case you decided to leave without saying hi.”

Guilt and shame tried to strangle Justin for the way he’d treated his brothers. But he’d failed in a big way where every one of them had succeeded. It was hard being the black sheep of the family. He’d never wanted that for himself.

But maybe they didn’t look at him the same way he looked at himself.

“Thanks. I’m glad you did,” he said, his voice croaking under the weighty emotions.

The waitress brought strong black coffee and menus. Justin allowed himself to drift back in time as he listened to the other three reminisce about their lives on the Love Ranch, growing up. Eventually, they discussed their current livelihoods, and Justin learned that his brother, Jonas, had blamed himself for the death of someone on his team during an FBI raid.

“You aren’t alone in the blame game,” Carver said. “But if God can forgive us, surely we can forgive ourselves.”

Justin smiled, realizing that God had known exactly what He was doing by sending him to Oregon on a mission to restore someone’s life. This trip wasn’t a mistake.

His own.

Why’d he ever doubt that?

He saw now that his own life could be restored. All he’d lost when he left, the things he missed, recovered. All this time he’d spent hardening his heart against people to protect himself from the hurt or from loving someone. But no more. Now, he was finally ready to love.

Good thing, too, because he was
in
love with Darrow Kincaid.

First, there was something he had to do.

What a bittersweet good-bye.

Benson was innocent. He’d contacted his lawyer to say he was on his way back to Florida and was informed the authorities caught the man who’d committed the armed robbery they had charged Benson with. All charges against her brother were dropped and all that happened within the last few hours.

Darrow was amazed to think that while Justin was facing off with Benson, the real criminal was being cuffed and read his Miranda rights, confessing to a string of robberies.

In the kitchen at her cabin, she smiled at Benson now. “Bring your wife when you get settled again. I’d love to meet her.”

“Or maybe you’d like to see Florida.”

He looked like a different man from two nights ago when he’d shown up in the lobby, turning her world upside down. He’d been haggard then, a worn-down excuse of a man, on the run and scared. He hadn’t been thinking straight when he’d held her as hostage.

He never meant to scare her. Darrow didn’t tell him his action would take her time to get over. But deep down, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. He’d been desperate. Justin wouldn’t have let it go that far either. She should never have stepped between them.

Justin …

Benson gave her one last hug then stepped off the porch. “Tell your bounty hunter thanks for me.”

Hiding her frown, she offered a soft smile. “Call me when you get home, okay?”

Benson trotted down the path away from her. Could this really be a new beginning for them?

Benson had run, fearing his past had caught up with him and would now put him away forever. But Darrow believed he was a changed man, despite his actions in the lobby.

A week later, a chill woke her earlier than usual. She rose and stoked the wood-burning stove to warm the cabin.

Had it really been a whole week? The events of the night her brother appeared were still too vivid, including Justin’s confession of love. On the surface, it appeared he’d used her in order to get to her brother. He’d hidden a terrible truth from her. But what would she do under the same circumstances?

She understood why he didn’t tell her.

Then he hadn’t arrested Benson. He’d waited at her lodge just so he could catch her brother before he disappeared into the wilderness and off the grid for who knew how long. Justin had pleaded with him on behalf of his wife to return to her and their unborn child.

Justin’s deed had washed away any bitterness toward him over the truth he’d hidden. He’d been aloof and standoffish, but in reality, he was a silent hero with a heart of gold. He’d kept his magnanimous plans to himself.

Darrow sighed, wishing she could take back how she’d acted when he’d told her he loved her. Why had she been hard on him? The man had reached into her heart and touched places that no one else had. And Darrow had sent him away.

She didn’t deserve Justin.

But where had he gone? How long did he expect her to wait? Or did he even plan to come back? What would she say if he did?

Darrow prepared breakfast and got ready for work. When it was time to leave, she strolled down the path to the lodge—a place she owned and loved. But every time she went inside, memories flooded her mind, leaving her disheartened.

She’d promised to relieve Renee for her break at the registration counter today. Trace was off for the day, thank goodness, because she’d prodded Darrow to share the details of what had happened. Right now, Darrow couldn’t explain. There were no words. It was a lot for a person to swallow.

During a slow moment in the afternoon, Darrow cleaned out the counter. She found an old wedding catalog dated several months old. Trace would have found this when she cleaned the shelves, but she’d said nothing to Darrow. Had she been looking at wedding dresses this long? Pathetic. Now it was an out-of-reach dream.

The phone rang and Darrow answered, “Ridgecrest Lodge.”

“I need a reservation.” The voice sounded familiar and yet … not.

Darrow’s knees trembled.

“What dates would you like to stay?” she asked.
Please, Lord, is it too much to ask? Let it be him
.

“Is forever available?” With a hint of humor, the voice echoed over the line.

As she stared at the computer screen, it took a few seconds for the words to sink in. Darrow lifted her gaze, searching the lobby.

And then, she spotted him. Grinning, Justin leaned against the wall next to a fake ficus tree. Darrow hung up the phone and rushed around the counter to Justin. She stopped, just short of jumping in his arms. Had he come back for her like he said, or was it something else?

“You’re back.” It was all she could manage.

Justin’s grin faltered. “Yes.”

“But where did you go?” Was that so important?

“I’ll answer that soon enough. But I have a question of my own.”

Darrow could almost guess what it was, but she wanted him to ask.

“Did you wait for me?”

“I’m here. It’s not like I was going anywhere.”

“Are you going to marry him?” He glanced down the length of her left arm.

She lifted her hand, devoid of the ring. “Smit was everything I thought I wanted. But as it turns out, he deserves better than me. He wanted someone who loved him as much.”

Justin’s expression grew serious. “Imagine that.”

Growing impatient with the conversation, Darrow took a step forward. “Now I’m left with no one.”

“I told you to have a little faith.”

“I’m trying.”

“Come here.” Justin tugged her over to him and ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it from her face.

Darrow leaned into his touch. She’d told Smit a hundred times she didn’t like to be affectionate in public, wanting to keep her private life just that. But all she wanted now was for Justin to show her he meant business. Tell her his intentions.

“I know I’m not what you thought you wanted,” Justin said. “I’m not exactly stable like Smit, the picture of permanence, but I mean to change that. I’m done running. If you’ll let me, I plan to stick around and prove to you that I’m all about stability. I know you don’t think you know me.”

Tears swelled in her eyes. “I know all I need to …”

Before she could draw another breath, Justin’s lips were on hers. He poured all his passion and longing into her and something much more. Love. Justin’s words that night before he left—
I’m in love with you
—danced with his kiss.

When he ended it, Darrow was dazed, unsteady on her feet. Justin lifted her left hand and slipped something on her finger. Darrow looked down.

“A ring?”

“I’m sorry, I did that backward.” He pressed his face to hers.

Darrow laughed. What was it with men these days? They didn’t know how to propose.

“Marry me,” he whispered. “We can spend a lifetime getting to know each other.”

“That sounds like a plan. Count me in.” She smiled, hating the tears slipping down her face. “I never thought I could be this happy. It’s not about the matching curtains or white picket fences after all.”

Still pressing his nose to hers, he held her hand and with his other hand at her back, he led her in a small private dance like they were the only ones in the world. “You saved me from a dry and arid, lonely life. You know that?”

Without either of them noticing, an audience had gathered and now clapped softly.

People watched her private moment, but she didn’t care. “I love you, Justin Love.”

W
rapped in ivory taffeta and satin, and an ornately beaded corset-bodice, she looked over her shoulder at the mirror’s image displaying the train of her gown.

Darrow had her wedding dress—the one she’d eyed for the months since Justin had asked her to marry him. He and Trace had conspired behind her back to make it happen. She didn’t see any harm in dreaming, but spending that kind of money hadn’t seriously been in her thoughts. She’d had to travel to Portland, of all places, to try it on and make the final decision, then to have it altered.

The train was shorter on this one than the one in the magazine, but that was fine. The gorgeous once-in-a-lifetime dress was fancy as it was, for a girl like Darrow. But Justin had insisted. He reminded her that the first time he’d seen her she’d been looking at wedding dresses. That dress was important to her, he’d said.

His brother Carver insisted they marry at the Love family ranch house. Darrow hadn’t had any family for years until Benson came back into her life, and now he kept in touch, calling her weekly. When Justin had proposed, he’d given her a whole new family with his three brothers and their wives, children, and babies on the way.

Justin was truly the love of her life. Her dream. She hadn’t known love could be like this, and to think, there was much more to experience.

Trace stepped back into the room where she’d assisted Darrow into her wedding dress earlier. “Five more minutes. Let me help you with the veil.”

Darrow had asked Trace to be her maid of honor, and she looked gorgeous in her champagne bridesmaid’s gown with the floor-length trumpet skirt. Trace stepped behind her and lifted the train as Darrow turned around to face the mirror. Tears welled in Darrow’s eyes.

“Oh, now don’t do that.” Trace tugged two tissues from a box and handed them to Darrow. “You’ll mess up your makeup.”

“I don’t know why I thought I needed to wear it.”

“Because today is special. You wanted to look like the bride in the catalog, remember?”

“What was I thinking?” Darrow laughed. “What if Justin doesn’t like it?”

Trace lifted the one-tier beaded veil and set it on Darrow’s head, gently clipping it to her hair. “Trust me. Justin is never going to forget how beautiful you are today.”